Grievances can be an issue, allegation, or problem that is usually reported at the workplace after an employee experiences abuse or mistreatment. An effective grievance mechanism can help businesses identify and mitigate human rights issues with interventions early and effectively before the complaint escalates. When implemented correctly, they support decent working conditions in line with applicable labor laws.

 

An effective grievance mechanism can help promptly detect mistreatment and provide effective and timely remedy. But it will only work if workers know it exists, trust it enough to use it, and believe they will be treated fairly. GoodWeave’s research in Bangladesh uncovered that the ability of workers to address violations through effective workplace-level grievance mechanisms is lacking, especially in the subcontracted and lower-tier factories, where production is harder to trace, and oversight is weakest. This is a particular concern for women workers, who make up the majority of Bangladesh’s RMG workforce and face compounding barriers, including gender-based violence and harassment, wages withheld or paid below minimum, and, as our research found, an average monthly earning gap of 2,000 BDT compared to their male counterparts. They are least likely to know grievance pathways exist, and most likely to face retaliation if they use one.

Thanks to GoodWeave’s partnership with Awaj Foundation, a grassroots workers’ rights organization, workers were provided with legal aid support on grievance redressal mechanisms in line with Bangladesh labor law. They were informed of the legal aid services through Workers’ Cafés, leaflets, mobile outreach, and awareness-raising sessions for workers on their labor rights. Over the course of the UK Home Office’s Modern Slavery Innovation Fund-backed project, over 8,000 workers were provided with information and access to formal grievance mechanisms.

Through a ‘People with Lived Experience’ survey, GoodWeave spoke to workers who had raised grievances through Awaj, asking them to assess their experience based on four criteria: access, trust, fairness and safety. Before Awaj’s intervention, most workers either had little knowledge of the existence or functioning of grievance mechanisms in their factory, did not know how to lodge a complaint, or feared retaliation if they did. They lacked representation to back them, and those who had lodged complaints were often unsuccessful, thus eroding trust in the system. 51% of the cases handled by Awaj in this project were women. Women workers faced with sudden termination and denial of maternity benefits when they were pregnant could not access workplace mechanisms even where they existed. Around 96% of the workers we interviewed told us their cases were successfully resolved, often through recovered wages, benefits or negotiated settlements, and roughly 4 in 5 reported being satisfied with how their case was handled. Almost all said they were treated with dignity throughout.

To establish effective grievance mechanisms for workers, brands also have a role to play. They must ensure anonymous and transparent reporting mechanisms at their supplier level and further down the supply chain. Monitoring and assessing worker satisfaction with closed grievances is necessary to track progress. Strengthening grievance mechanisms begins by allowing independent trade unions to function without duress. Promptly resolving complaints and tracking outcomes to ensure subcontractor accountability are necessary for a transparent supply chain.

An effective and functioning grievance mechanism is a critical tool — it allows workers to seek remedy when labor violations arise and helps companies understand what is happening in their supply chains. GoodWeave, in partnership with Awaj, enables structured legal escalation pathways and worker empowerment training — a comprehensive approach to making grievance mechanisms genuinely accessible and effective for some of the most vulnerable workers in global supply chains.